Take Me To The Water
Harpist Ashley Jackson fuses music and storytelling in Take Me to the Water, a soulful exploration of spirituals, Jackson's own arrangements of iconic works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Alice Coltrane, and a breathtaking interpretation of Debussy's "Danse Sacrée." Replenishing and immersive, Take Me to the Water celebrates the transportive nature of water, and of the rivers that unite us, conjuring a radiant vision of a world anchored by hope and brighter days.
Take Me To The Water is out now on Decca Records US.
“Brings Expressive Luminosity To Whatever She Touches.”
—Gramophone
An avid soloist, chamber musician, and curator, Decca US Recording Artist harpist Ashley Jackson has established herself as a vital musical voice. A professor and Director of Performance Studies at Hunter College, Ashley has performed at Lincoln Center, Big Ears Festival, and Celebrate Brooklyn! Her work has been featured on NPR, WNYC, and MPR, as well as in Essence and PBS Channel 13. Her debut album Ennanga (Bright Shiny Things) garnered worldwide acclaim for its consideration of American music and its roots in Black spirituality. Her follow-up album, Take Me to the Water embraces the transportive heft of the harp, conjuring a radiant vision of a world anchored by hope and brighter days.
Read full biography
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Take Me To The Water
“I found myself playing it over and over again. It almost takes over your body.” -Michel Martin, NPR Morning Edition
Take Me To The Water is a soulful exploration of original arrangements of spirituals, iconic works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Alice Coltrane, and an exhilarating interpretation of Debussy’s “Danse Sacrée.” Take Me To The Water celebrates the transportive nature of water, and of the rivers that unite us.
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Ennanga
“Ennanga is a gemlike offering precisely because she balances her instrument and its expressive potential against that moral calling, framing each gesture in personal terms.”
—Nate Chinen for WRTIEnnanga explores the musical and spiritual connections among American composers who have redefined the musical landscapes. It features The Harlem Chamber Players and Jackson's new arrangements as well as original music by William Grant Still and Brandee Younger.

“Water is something that we all need. It sustains us, it gives us life. Take Me to the Water reminds us we have a choice: we can let water be the thing that divides us, or, it can allow us to come together through our shared humanity.”
-Ashley Jackson
Upcoming Events
July 20 @ 10pm
Little Island, Pier55 in Hudson River Park
New York, NY
Emi Ferguson, Ashley Jackson, and Mikael Darmanie
Series: Curated by Cécile McLorin Salvant
Take Me To The Water
Ashley’s original arrangement for solo harp of the American spiritual.
Deep River
Ashley’s transcription of the classic arrangement by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
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